This invention relates to garments such as daywear, hospital gowns and sleepers used for concealing medical appliances connected to a patient.
Children are particularly self-conscious about medical appliances such as catheters, wires and the like that are connected to them. If ordinary clothing is used, whether in the hospital or at home, the tubes connected to the patient are often difficult for a healthcare worker or parent to reach. In addition, ordinary clothing or a nightgown is often uncomfortable and, with a catheter extending from the patient, the front of the garment must be left unbuttoned or unzipped which can cause the patient to feel chilly or uncomfortable. While garments have been provided in the past with an opening through which a catheter, for example, can be withdrawn, a visible opening draws attention to the patient""s condition, which only adds to the patient""s anxiety and contributes to a feeling of self-consciousness. Prior gowns often tended to make a medical appliance conspicuous, a major disadvantage since it increases the child""s feeling of self-consciousness.
In view of these and other deficiencies, there exists a need for an improved garment that can be used by a variety of special needs patients who require a feeding tube, infusion tube or monitor such as an apnea monitor and which will conceal such medical appliances while connected to the patient so that the garment looks like an ordinary child""s romper or sleeper and does not draw attention to the patient""s medical condition.
Accordingly, the primary objective of the invention is to conceal a medical appliance that is connected to a patient by providing a garment in the nature of a gown or sleeper for a child, which looks like an ordinary garment and does not attract attention to the patient""s medical condition nor expose the wires, catheters and other medical appliances that are connected to the patient yet allows easy access to such appliances when required.
Another more specific objective of the invention is to find a way of concealing a medical appliance and yet enable the appliance to be easily lifted from a hidden location inside and withdrawn without difficulty through a concealed opening in the garment.
Still another objective is to enable the medical appliances that are connected to a patient to be held in such a way by the garment that they can be accessed by a healthcare worker or parent by reaching into the garment from the outside.
These and other more detailed and specific objects of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following figures and detailed description which illustrate by way of example of but a few of the various forms of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.
The invention provides a garment for concealing a medical appliance such as a central line or an electrical wire used for monitoring a patient""s condition. The garment includes a hidden pocket on an inside surface of the front of the garment. The pocket is secured to the garment by connected side and bottom edges. The pocket also has a free upper edge that is positioned in spaced relationship below an opening in the front of the garment so that the medical appliance can be concealed within the pocket and later, when it is to be deployed, can be withdrawn from the pocket and then raised above the upper edge of the pocket and withdrawn through the opening which is in an unobstructed position above the pocket. The garment is typically provided with one or more concealed openings on the front of the garment and one or more openings at a lower level along one side of the garment for enabling multiple medical appliances to be connected to the patient for simultaneous use and withdrawn through openings at two different elevations in the garment. A cover or closure is preferably provided on the front of the garment to conceal the opening when not in use. The opening can be closed by a zipper or a flap that is held in place at its free end by means of a fastener such as Velcro(copyright).